Loss of MID in English: Free Peasantry and Their Linguistic Advantage

Abstract

AbstractThe paper deals with the mysterious loss of a common preposition MID in the historical development of English. The issue is examined using a quantitative method combined with a historical sociolinguistic focus on the free peasantry in the East Midlands and Kent. Statistical results show East Midlands to be the leading region of the change, with Kent being the most conservative region. Given the special role of free peasantry in medieval society, it is proposed that they can exert disproportionate influence over linguistic changes in the feudal society, due to their free movement, well‐off socio‐economic status and higher prestige, and so are instrumental in the linguistic competition between MID and WIÐ.